Alien Versus Predator: Just Livin' Life
by Blood For Blood
Summary: Yep, They're just cruisin' through life. What happens when Yuatja, Xenomorphs, and Humans are all jammed into a penthouse, and forced to live peacefully? The fact of the matter is, things are gonna get crazy. But to what extent?
1. Welcome To The Family

**Authors Note: This is my take on a few of every species from Aliens and Predator movies/games living together in a large penthouse. Expect drama, action, humor, love, and much, much worse! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!**

"Damnit, I thought you brought your keys with you!" Jake yelled.

"I did, I swear! I don't know what happened!" Drew replied.

Drew pounded on the door, for two minutes straight. Finally, the door opened, and from behind it, Marcus stepped out. Marcus… wasn't human… he was a Xeno.

"Where the hell were you two? I thought the concert only lasted 'till 2?" Marcus asked, closing the door behind Drew and Jake.

"It did… but uh, we met a couple girls…" Jake replied.

"Oh god… you didn't catch anything, did you? Last thing we need is everyone getting something from dirty bed sheets and shit like that!" Marcus snapped.

"No, but we lost our keys." Drew said.

"No, you lost our keys…" Jake smacked Drew upside the head.

Marcus just stared at the two for a moment. Two full grown, Marines were out at 4:30 am, in a crowded city, while almost everyone else in the city slept. Two full grown Marines locked themselves out of the group penthouse. The worst part is, Marcus could smell alcohol on their breath. And his daughter was home, and asleep two rooms over. Marcus shook his head. In order to make his point, Marcus leapt on the wall, crawled onto the ceiling, and grabbed Drew. He lifted him up and stared him dead in the face.

"You two are lucky Frank isn't up, or he'd skin you alive. And I wouldn't stop him. I swear, if you two become bad influences on my sweet baby girl, I will eat your skulls. You sleep in the den tonight." Marcus whispered in a loud, threatening voice.

Marcus dropped Drew, and dropped onto the floor. He turned around, and began to walk towards his bedroom. But he was stopped by a soft whimper. To his left, towards Camille's room, he heard a door close. Standing out in the hall was none other than… Camille. His daughter, who was still in the Chest-burster stage. She was holding a stuffed doll in the shape of a Facehugger. But not any Facehugger. A Royal Facehugger, the same kind she was spawned from. Marcus sighed, and picked Camille up.

"What's wrong?" he asked gently.

"I had the dream again…" Camille replied, hugging her father.

"The one about the hunt? Alright, come on."

Marcus walked towards his room, turning slightly towards Drew and Jake. He mouthed the words "watch yourselves", and turned back around. Camille stuck her tongue out at the two "funny humans" (as she called them) and giggled. Marcus walked into his room, and closed the door. Drew and Jake stared at each other, and shivered. Suddenly, every door that led outside was locked. Drew face-palmed, and Jake swallowed hard.

**The next day**

Drew and Jake were both tied down, at Frank's order. Jacob, Paul, Elisa, and Lewis, all Yuatja, stood behind the couch. Ruth, Carrie, Camille, and Marcus, all Xenomorphs, stood in front. Joey, Willis, Lindsey, and Mary stood on the sides, all humans. Frank was pacing the second floor "indoor balcony" as it was addressed by many. Frank was a broad-shouldered, tall, and threatening Yuatja. And the self-declared leader of everyone who lived in the penthouse. No one disagreed with him either.

"I try so hard… to keep order in our home. That is what it takes to keep peace between us all. But you two… fools… ruined it by coming home late, drunk, and exposing a bad example for the Youngbloods. Including the youngest, Camille, barely a year and a half… what punishment shall we choose?"

"WHEEL OF SHAME!" Paul yelled, as he rushed into a backroom. He returned with a large, multi-colored spinner wheel. It had multiple labels on it.

Paul spun the wheel, and everyone watched as it spun round and round. The wheel stopped slowly.

"Oh… you fool's gotta clean the bathroom with your toothbrushes…" Paul said.

Jake stood up, and walked to Paul. "Hey Paul, can I borrow your toothbrush?"

"Sure thing!"

Marcus kneeled down next to Camille. "What do I always say about Paul?"

"He's not a role model." Camille replied quickly.

"Good girl."


	2. Surprise Ending?

Marcus crawled through the vent, and ended up on top of the penthouse. It was the "hideout" for any and all Xenomorphs in the house. At the moment, it was empty. Marcus looked up at the clear sky, and sighed. It made him a bit sad that every day could be this perfect, maybe then he could take Camille out for walks, or something like that. Something… parent-like. But no, most of the time it was rainy and gloomy. Unfortunately, that was how it was during the beginning of spring. He looked up to the sun, and sighed again. if only he could actually _SEE_ the sun, instead of smelling the radiation. Below him, he heard humans shouting. That spelled trouble, as humans were often causing trouble. Marcus crawled back inside, to see Chelsea and Max throwing a ball back and forth.

"Damn humans… they never follow Frank's rules…" Marcus mumbled as he dangled upside-down.

Chelsea threw the ball to Max, but over-shot him. Marcus caught the ball, and dropped to the floor.

"Don't you remember anything Frank said? No throwing things inside!" Marcus snapped.

"I don't see Frank around here, do you?" Chelsea asked.

"I DON'T HAVE EYES!"

"Oh, sorry."

"And… you might want to hear this…"

"Spit it out man."

"Frank is cloaked… and behind you… and pissed as hell…"

"Oh shit!"

Chelsea and Max turned around and looked in horror as frank uncloaked. He grabbed both of them by the throat, and lifted them in the air. Marcus smiled, and crossed his arms.

"Wait, hold off the execution for a minute. Camille, come here please!" Marcus yelled.

Camille crawled in from her room, and dropped down from the ceiling. Marcus caught her, and pointed her towards Frank.

"Watch why you follow Uncle Frank's rules."

Frank nodded, and returned back to the two "Oomans" in his grip. He tightened it slightly.

"I make rules… to keep everyone here happy." Frank said, looking back and forth.

"We're happy. Everyone else is happy." Max replied.

"Yes, but if you broke that painting, or that crystal egg Hannah got from the Queen herself, someone will be unhappy. And if Hannah is unhappy, the entire hive is unhappy. And then they literally… 'rape you skull' with their tongues… do you want that?"

"Uh… no."

"Exactly. Follow the rules. You don't die. It's that simple. If you don't, I'll kill you. Your heads will look good on my mantle…"

Frank dropped the two "Oomans" and walked into a room on the far left. Camille tilted her head, and looked up at her father.

"Daddy, what's in there?" Camille asked.

"Oh, that's the Yuatja Trophy Room. They keep all their prized, non-weapon, non-personal, possessions in there." Marcus thought about what could've been in there. Xeno skulls, tongues, entire bodies."I don't think you should ever go in there… ever."

Marcus smiled, and placed Camille on his back. He leapt into the vent, and climbed back outside.

The next day, Marcus was sitting in his "secret hive" as he called it, tending to his pet Facehuggers. They were all, of course, clipped and spayed, so they couldn't implant anyone. As a matter of fact, the worst they could do was slightly annoy you by attempting to, as many before called it, "hump your face." Without success, that is. The multiple Facehuggers climbed and clambered all about the area, some even on Marcus himself. Marcus scattered an amazing concoction the humans had made, called "bird-seed", and the Facehuggers loved the stuff. But of course, the big screen turned on, and the Queen, or informally known as, "Mom" popped onto the screen.

"Hello dear! How has everything been?" she asked.

"Great mom. How's the hive doing?" Marcus replied, gently setting down a Facehugger.

"Oh, everyone misses you terribly. Then again, I just thinks it's the fact that you were the only male for miles… how are your sisters?"

"Fine."

"How's Camille, the Queen-to-be?"

"She's doing great. I've been teaching her a thing or two about the hive-mind."

"Good to know dear. Well Marcus, I didn't call just to say hello. I have news. A few of your old friends have moved, and they have moved right next door to you!"

Marcus put on a smile, but his heart sank. His old "friends" were uptight, traditional, nobles of the Xeno race. And they were all female. The only reason Marcus was a male was because of a birth defect that caused his DNA to change dramatically. Instead of being born a green-blackish female, he was born a blood-red male. Oops, sorry. I started rambling, didn't I? Well, all of Marcus' lady-friends would always hit on him, and he didn't want them doing that in front of Camille. It would set a bad example.

"And I've sent them with a few of your child-hood knick-knacks. You know; the odd looking machine that shot metal, and the stick that made noises?"

Of course, she meant his pistol and guitar. Being a "prince" as the entire hive addressed him, they brought him useless gifts. Some, were rather fun to toy around with. So Marcus gained quite a few skills from spending all his time (because he was a prince, they wouldn't let him work in the mines) practicing his shot, or playing guitar. He learned how to play from books he found, or received as gifts, and learned a few good songs.

"Please do take care, and tell me heir I said hello!"

"Will do mom. Tell everyone in the hive Marcus misses 'em."

The screen went black, and Marcus turned around. He leapt up out of his secret hive, and closed the entrance. He looked around his room, and sighed. Before he could even try to tidy up the house, the doorbell rang. Marcus began to panic. Just because they were so… eager… didn't mean he didn't want to make a good impression. But then again, the humans might screw it up. Then again, the Yuatja might attempt to take trophies… no, he'd have _their _heads first.

While Marcus pondered, Tristan, Paul's son, answered the door. And he quickly drew his Plasma caster.

"Oh my goodness!" was all Marcus heard.

Marcus sprinted to the door, to see Tristan aiming his caster towards the open door. Marcus grabbed the caster, and ripped it off Tristan's shoulder pad. Marcus hurled it across the room.

"Hey man, that's not cool!" Tristan protested.

"You're not cool. Get outta here and let the adults talk." Marcus replied coolly.

Tristan grumbled in protest, but still went to retrieve the caster. Marcus turned to the door, to see three of his old friends, one of which was carrying a cardboard box. All of them looked extremely frightened, and were all shaking. Marcus smoothed back the spines on his head, and turned back to the three.

"Sorry about that. No one really knew you were coming, I barely got a warning." Marcus said as he leaned in the doorway.

The Xeno in the middle, dropped the box, and tackled Marcus to the floor. The other two joined in the dog-pile. The clung to Marcus' chest, and broke out crying.

"Marcus, we're so glad to see you! We were so frightened! Thank you for saving us!" all three cried in unison.

"Ah, Jennifer, Jennifer, and Jennifer, I almost missed the way you all talk at once…" Marcus began to whisper, "Almost…"

"Marcus, we missed you so much!" they all cried, yet again in unison.

"I know, I know. Get up, and we can talk like… almost civilized people… bugs… things… like we used to?"

All three Jennifer's stood up, and looked around. "You live here?"

"Yeah, with my sisters, my daughter, some humans, some Yuatja… get's kinda hellish…"

"Wait, your daughter?" 'Jennifer two' better known as Eleanor asked.

"Yeah… hasn't my mom talked about her? She's the next heir."

The door to Camille's room opened slowly, and Camille poked her head out. She always had a knack for knowing when people were talking about her. she ran to her father, and jumped on his back.

"Daddy!" she cried happily.

"Aww…" all three "Jennifer's" said.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING OUT HERE? WHY IS TRISTAN CRYING? WHY AM I YELLING? DOES ALL CAPS SYMBALIZE YELLING?"


	3. Tristan's Dreams Are Crushed

Marcus set Camille down on her bed, and closed the door. He sighed, and leaned against the wall. She wore him out enough as is, but when you throw three _fully-grown_ females into the mix, it's just exhausting. Marcus peeked around the corner, and looked at the three newcomers sitting on the couch, all of them looking around. They were surrounded by Marcus' sisters. He looked back into Camille's room, and just stared at her. _She even sleeps like my little angel..._

Camille, being still in the Chestburster stage, was still rather small and frail. But she was already forming many queen-like features. such as the "crown" plate growing behind her head, covered in intricate patterns. Or the smaller set of arms under the main ones.

Jennifer 1 was the only one who was actually named Jennifer. She looked a lot like the standard Drone in the Hive, besides the fact that a large ornate orb that hung around her neck. Her skin-tone was slightly lighter, and shinier than the average drone. She was a bit shorter, and her tail ended more bluntly. Jennifer was a bit… dull. She wasn't that bright, but made up for it in charm and looks.

Caroline, or Jennifer 3, looked more like a smooth-headed Drone, with a dome-shaped head. Except she wore the symbol of her family, a circle and an X on her forehead. She was just a pinch shorter than the average Drone. Caroline had an extremely light skin-tone, one of the lightest in the hive. Her tail, compared to a Warrior's, was razor-sharp. Caroline was of a bad temperament, and easy to anger. Marcus had learned that the hard way, and got a lash across the head.

Eleanor, "Jennifer 2", was more level-headed of the trio. She was civilized when need be, and also knew how to "kick back and enjoy life" as the Humans called it. Eleanor was of the Praetorian caste, but never actually experienced combat. She stood just a bit shorter than Marcus. Since she never experienced full combat, she never really grew.

Marcus took the time to go to the bathroom. Considering the momentary cease-fire from the three new-comers, Marcus took one last chance to look at himself in the mirror. Marcus himself was blood-red, head to toe. The top of his dome-shaped head was covered in flexible spines, as was his back. He was noticeably taller than your average female Drone. There was a large patch of spines missing in an X on the top of his head, with a scar running across. Marcus' tail ended with a large blade shaped growth, and a barb growing on the top. Marcus slicked the spines on his head back, and walked back out into the living room.

The atmosphere in the living room was lively, but calm. Like the after-party to a much larger premier. Frank, Tristan, Paul, Susanne, Chloe, and Rena all sat around the couch, questioning or examining the three newcomers. Frank sat across from them, in his full-leather "huntsman" chair as he called it. Frank's gray dread-locks were the only things visible, because he was wearing his Biomask. It was far more decorative than anyone else's. Tristan and Paul stood on the side of the couch, with all Marcus' sisters sitting all around the room.

Marcus walked out into the hallway, where his belongings sat. He picked up the cardboard box, and walked over to the couch. He set the box down, and picked up his guitar. He plucked a pick from the strings, and ran his finger up the neck of the guitar.

"Ah… feels good to be complete again… let's see if is till know how to play…" Marcus mumbled.

Marcus sat down on the arm of the couch, and began to lightly strum on the guitar. He picked up the pace a few minutes later.

"_I know you've suffered, _

_But I don't want you to hide. _

_It's cold and loveless,_

_I won't let you be denied._

_Soothing_

_I'll make you feel pure_

_Trust me,_

_You can be sure._

_I want to reconcile the violence in your heart,_

_I want to recognize, your beauty is not just a mask_

_I want to exorcise the demons from your past_

_I want to satisfy the undisclosed desires in your heart…"_

Everyone in the room was in awe. Then it just turned to laughter when Marcus fell onto his knees and played heavy metal.

"Heheh, YEAH!" Marcus cried as he played one final chord.

Marcus stood up, and set the guitar back down. "Did you know that the pick I used is one of my old teeth?"

"Ewww! That's so unsanitary!" Jennifer cried.

"So? I was a kid, what can I say?"

"Well… Changing the subject," Eleanor began, "Frank, I think it was? Your mask is beautiful, how did you make it?"

Frank sat up, and rested his arms on his legs. He removed his Biomask, and handed it to Tristan, who passed it along until it reached Eleanor. Eleanor examined it carefully.

"As you age, and hunt, you get to decorate your mask more and more. Mine is rather intricate, because…" Frank stopped.

"He's an Ancient… according to the Yuatja tradition." Marcus finished.

The room went silent. It stayed that way for five minutes, everyone exchanging nervous looks. It would've stayed silent longer, but Paul "let one rip", as the Humans would call it. Tristan and Paul broke out laughing, while everyone else stared. Everyone else in the room retreated after a moment, causing the "Idiotic Duo", as Marcus labeled them, to laugh even harder. Paul patted his son on the shoulder.

"Ya see son, being a Hunter can have its advantages." Paul said.

"I don't wanna be a hunter." Tristan replied.

"What? My father was a Hunter. His father was a Hunter! Everyone in our species is a Hunter!"

"And I'm gonna be a super-famous pop-star!"

"What?-You don't even sing."

"Yeah, I do!"

Tristan took a deep breath, and let out a blood-curdling screech. Everyone in a 100 yard radius covered their ears and fell to their knees. Everyone who was asleep woke up, including Camille, Ruth, and Hannah. They all rushed out of their rooms to see what was happening.

"What the fuck was that?"

"My ears are bleeding!"

"At least your ears are outside of your head. I have internal bleeding now…"

"Daddy! Make it stop!"

Camille rushed to her father, and jumped onto him. Marcus cradled her with one arm, and back-handed Tristan with the other.

"Hey, what if I slapped your kid like that?" Paul protested.

"You won't, because everyone will kill you. Even people from your species. Everyone loves Camille."Marcus replied.

"It's true." Frank said.

"Indeed." Sahara added in.

"I love that weird squealing noise she makes when she's happy! Listen, she's doing it now!" Chelsea agreed.

**Bit of an odd ending, right? Keep up the reviews people! = )**


	4. Ouch, Wipeout!

**It has come to my attention… that most of the reviewers/readers are friends/family. And have spread the word about the story. I must say… THANK-YOU!**

Marcus looked out onto the city. At the moment, he was standing on the top of a five-story apartment building. He was in the process of catching his bearings, and practicing his wall-running. Camille was being taught the basics by Eleanor, along with a few other newborns and Youngbloods. Marcus just needed time alone. There were too many people in that place, and his head was full with crap that happened over the past week. Tristan tried to start a karaoke night at the penthouse, and was ultimately shot down. Jennifer somehow managed to light a glass of water on fire, and required Marcus to help her. Camille overheard some of the Humans talking, and learned a new word. One that Marcus never even used before. Needless to say, the Humans were punished. And Paul bought the creepiest totem pole to put in the living room. The eyes seem to follow you everywhere.

"Damnit… always so much stupid things going on…" Marcus muttered.

Marcus dropped to all-fours, and crawled onto the side of the building. He ran down the side of the building, startling anyone who was at the window. Marcus heard quite a few screams as he scaled the wall, and laughed as he went. But an open window put an end to Marcus' shenanigans, and caused him to stumble. He barely held onto the building, and slid quickly to the ground. Marcus finally let go, and began a free-fall to the ground, two-stories below. Marcus crash-landed in a dumpster, and landed on his right shoulder.

"Ah… FUCK!" Marcus gasped out before losing consciousness.

"Do you think he's gonna wake up soon?" Marcus heard from above him.

"Soon? He'll be lucky if he ever wakes up."

Marcus heard a smacking sound, followed by a low grumble.

"Don't say that! Camille is right over here."

Marcus regained his sight a moment later. His head ached, his shoulder felt like it was on fire, and he felt a sharp stabbing pain in his chest, which heaved with each breath. Eleanor and Paul stood over Marcus, who could hear the steady sound of a heartbeat-sensor. Marcus stirred, and seemed to surprise Eleanor and Paul. Eleanor gently took Marcus' hand, and guided his as he sat up.

"Ow… did I die? Am I dead? Or am I in hell? I see an angel… and then there's a moron." Marcus muttered.

"Hey! You shouldn't be calling Eleanor a moron."

Eleanor giggled, and Marcus shook his head. Paul shot Marcus the finger and left the room. Tristan followed him. Camille rushed to her father's side, and jumped onto his lap. Marcus winced, but didn't protest. He wrapped his arms around Camille, and looked up at Eleanor.

"Alright. Fill me in on the details. What happened while I was busy breaking my face?"

"Well… nothing really. But you know, finding you in a dumpster with a dent the size of a mango in your head gave us a shock. Jenifer and Caroline are at home worried sick. Your mother nearly cried. Camille _did_. Poor thing almost threw up she was crying so hard."

Marcus tightened his grip around Camille. She was sobbing heavily.

"I will never leave you Camille… _till the day I die…_"

**Five days later**

Marcus sighed, and collapsed onto the bed. The bed groaned as Marcus lay down. He shifted positions repeatedly, before getting back up altogether. Marcus limped out of his room, and peeked out into the living room. Jennifer and Caroline were sitting on the floor along with multiple Youngbloods. Frank sat in his Huntsman, and told tales of his multiple hunts on unfamiliar planets. Camille and the other Xeno Newborns were all outside playing near the pool, while Eleanor was nowhere to be seen. Or so Marcus thought.

"Shouldn't you be in your room resting?"

Marcus jumped, and turned around. Eleanor stood with her arms behind her back, and a curious smile on her face.

"I can't sleep. I feel… useless… I should be out here doing something." Marcus replied.

"You need to rest. You broke yourself. And since you're a male, you don't heal as quickly."

"I know… alright. Let me get a drink and I'll go back."

Eleanor put her hands on her hips, and watched as Marcus limped into the kitchen. She shook her head and laughed as Jennifer and Caroline jumped because of Frank's story. Camille, Tristan, and Carrie's child, Eli, all came running into the penthouse. Camille had a light green fluid on her left knee, and was crying. Eleanor was about to rush to do something, but Marcus got there first. Carrie stepped next to Eleanor, and leaned against the wall.

"I know you want him. Everyone knows you want him. But you need to appeal to his tastes…" Carrie said quietly.

"What? I don't understand." Eleanor replied.

"You need to appeal to Marcus's fatherly senses if you want him to want you back."

"I don't think I'm following."

"Just watch."

"Daddy! I slipped and scraped my knee." Camille cried out.

"Alright… come on, let's go rinse that out." Marcus replied, carrying Camille away.

Eleanor stared for a moment. Marcus was so mature. Much more mature than when he was a teenager. Marcus would always crack _the worst_ puns as a teenager. And Eleanor meant the worst. And he would always say "That's what she said!" at the most inappropriate times. Like at the Nobles Dinner. He made milk squirt out of her nose right in front of her mother!

"You see? Marcus is used to babying people he cares about. He does it to all of us. So, you need to act like you need to be babied too." Carrie said, and then walked away.


	5. The Picture

Marcus sat down on a stool, and tightened his guitar strap. He began to strum on the guitar.

"_I judge by what she's wearing, just how many heads I'm tearing_

_Off of assholes coming on to her_

_Each night seems like its getting worse_

_I wish she'd take the night off, so I don't have to fight off_

_Every asshole coming onto her_

_It happens every night she works_

_They'll go and ask the DJ to find out just what would she say_

_If they all tried coming on to her_

_They think they'll get inside her_

_With every drink they buy her_

_As they all try coming on to her_

_This time some on is getting hurt_

_Here comes the next contestant_

_Is that your hand on my girlfriend?_

_Is that, your hand?_

_I wish you'd do it again_

_I'll watch you leave here limping_

_I wish you'd do it again_

_I'll watch you leave here limping_

_There goes the next contestant_

_I even fear the ladies_

_They're cool but twice as crazy_

_Just as bad for coming on to her_

_Don't they know it's never gonna work_

_Each time she bats an eyelash, _

_Someone is grabbing her ass_

_Everyone keeps coming on to her _

_This time someone is getting hurt_

_Here goes the next contestant."_

Marcus played one final chord, and stood up. Everyone in the Den began clapping, and Marcus took an over-exaggerated bow, and looked around. Joey planted a hand on Marcus' shoulder and laughed.

"So, were you serious about the part about the ladies?" Joey asked.

"Yeah. When I was fifteen, I lost a girlfriend to a Drone… goddamn… at least they sent me pictures…" Marcus replied.

"You know, I'd love to learn more about your species. You should take me to your hive sometimes…"

"And by species, you mean women. And by learn, you mean sex. I know the intentions of a human by now."

Joey dropped his arm, and sighed. It was true. Joey walked away. Marcus laughed, and pulled his cell phone out. He snuck a quick look at a few pictures, and sighed. He scratched at the screen for a moment, before remembering the room was full. He put his phone away. Camille was back at the hive, visiting her Grandmother.

Eleanor snuck up behind Marcus as he took his phone out, but didn't get a clear shot at the image. She rested her head on Marcus' shoulder, which made him jump.

"Whatcha lookin' at?" Eleanor asked in a childish voice.

Marcus chuckled, and turned around. He poked Eleanor. "Childhood memories… my memories… not yours. Leave it at that."

"But…" Eleanor began.

"LEAVE IT… at that. Ask Kelly back at the hive… she might tell you."

"But Kelly's a… oh… Oh! EW! EW! You pervert!" Eleanor slapped Marcus.

"Ow… no, no, it's nothing like that…" Marcus began to whisper, "_At least not that picture…" _A grin grew on Marcus' face.

"What?"

"Nothing."

Eleanor stared at Marcus as he walked to his room. Marcus was still covered in bandages, on his head, ribs, tail, and left leg. Every spine on his head was shaved and clipped to place the bandages, in which he had to be strapped and held down, due to the fact that there are nerves in his spines. Needless to say, Marcus felt unbearable amounts of pain. There are still claw marks on his headboards from when they changed the bandages.

Carrie stood beside Eleanor, and padded her on the back. Caroline and Jennifer joined the gathering.

"So, what did you two talk about?" Carrie asked.

"Marcus is hiding a picture from me. I'm going to find out what it is by the end of the week." Eleanor replied.

**Two days later.**

Carrie pulled Eleanor out of the room. Everyone who was there at the moment was covered in a sticky purple fluid. They were all in an accident that involved Eleanor, her tail, and two gallons of grape juice.

"Remember when I told you to act like you needed attention? Forget that. Be yourself… and be really forward. And subtle." Carrie whispered.

"Ok… subtle and forward. Got it." Eleanor replied.

Marcus was in the shower when Paul walked into the bathroom. Marcus glanced towards the door, but his vision was (obviously) blocked by a shower curtain.

"Paul, get out." Marcus said.

"How'd you know it was me?"

"You do this every day."

Paul shrugged, and walked to the porcelain throne. He flushed, and exited turned to the shower. Instead of the usual flailing he got, all that happened was… nothing. Usually Marcus would've been flailing about and cursing at him, but nothing. Marcus poked his head out of the shower and laughed.

"Dumbass. I'm taking a cold-water shower. Helps get the damned grape juice out of my cuts and hemorrhages."

"Damnit…"

A bar of moldy soap slapped Paul across the face, and stuck. Paul sighed, and walked out of the room. Marcus shut the water off, and stepped out.

Marcus cracked the door open slightly, and looked around. Camille was outside, which was good. He didn't need his daughter seeing him fresh out of the shower. Marcus exited the bathroom moments later, with a towel hanging over his shoulders. Jennifer, Caroline, and Eleanor had brought over a few guests, Kelly and Diz. All of them were sitting in the den. All eyes fell on Marcus.

"Marcus… um… I never… um… um…" Kelly stuttered, not removing her eyes from Marcus.

"Uh… hey… Kelly…" Marcus looked at Diz. "Diz… how you been doing?"

"Marcus, shouldn't you be wearing a towel to cover yourself?" Carrie asked, looking away.

"Nah… I like to go all natural."

"Oh, we can tell." Kelly and Diz said in unison."

Marcus sighed, and covered his lower half with the towel. Marcus began to walk to his room, and Kelly, Diz, and Eleanor all followed. When Marcus tried to close his door, Eleanor stopped him...

"Uh, a little privacy you pervert?" Marcus asked.

"We want to see the pictures." Eleanor said, opening the door.

Marcus looked over Eleanor's shoulder at Kelly. She nodded.

Marcus sighed. "Alright. Sit."

The three Xeno's sat down, and watched what Marcus did carefully. Marcus kneeled before the three, and reached under his bed. As a byproduct of this, his head was on Kelly's lap. Kelly began to blush, but said nothing and tensed up. Marcus pulled a lockbox out from under his bed, and stood back up. He opened it up, and grabbed four pictures. All four huddled over the pictures.


	6. Break It Down!

Marcus quickly grew a small grin as he looked over the picture. The first picture was a group picture, and by order from left to right, Carrie, Jennifer, Caroline, Eleanor, Marcus, Kelly, and Diz stood. Marcus' arms were wrapped around Kelly and Eleanor, and he had an uncontrollable grin.

Marcus chuckled as he flipped to the next picture. It was of Kelly and Diz. Diz was behind Kelly, and had her arms wrapped around Kelly's waist. They both had a rather amusing grin. Marcus flipped to the next picture. It was an incredibly amusing picture featuring Marcus and Kelly, and an unknown photographer. Marcus was holding back a grin, while attempting to block the camera. Kelly was _trying_ to kiss Marcus.

Marcus looked up at Eleanor. "See, nothin' bad about these pictures."

"What about the last one? You only showed us three." Eleanor asked with child-like curiosity.

"Oh… uh… that's a picture from… my uh… personal collection?" Marcus replied, pulled the final picture away.

"Oh… yeah… we'll see about that." Diz said.

Kelly quickly snatched the picture out of Marcus' hands, and ran out of the room. Marcus tried to get up, but he couldn't. Looking behind him, he saw both Eleanor and Diz pulling on his tail. Marcus sighed.

"Come… the… fuck… on!" Marcus groaned as he pulled away.

Diz and Eleanor looked at each other and smiled. The both let go of Marcus', which sent him flying. He smashed his head on the doorframe, and fell to the floor. His head bounced off the carpeted floor, and he fell still. Diz and Eleanor rolled off of Marcus' bed, and crawled over to him. Kelly poked her head in the doorway, and looked down. Marcus twitched.

"'Course… I just broke my face…" Marcus muttered.

Kelly dropped onto her knees, and leaned over Marcus. She folded the picture, and handed it to Diz. Diz unfolded it, and began to giggle.

"Come on; let's get you on your feet." Kelly said, as she attempted to pull Marcus over onto his stomach.

"I don't know… I'm enjoying the view from down here." Marcus replied.

Kelly dropped Marcus, and covered her chest with an appalled look on her face. Marcus chuckled, and pulled himself to his feet. He snatched the picture from Diz's hands, and sat back down on his bed. Eleanor, Kelly, and Diz all followed. The Eleanor was behind Marcus, and set her head on top of his. Kelly and Diz set their heads on his shoulders.

The picture was of a Drone standing alone in a metal room. But she wasn't a normal Drone. She was wearing a female Marine's armor, which fit her rather well. The left shoulder strap on the armor vest was undone, and the vest dangled by one strap. The leggings were loose on her, and the left half of her hip was exposed. She was striking a seductive pose, with her hand on her hip, and her tail coiling around her waist. Kelly took the picture, and turned it around. On the back, it read _"Dear Marcus, call me if you're ever in the area. I owe you one. Ta-ta for now, Nicole."_

Marcus sighed, and rubbed his head. "Happy now? ugh, I'm gonna go grab some ice…"

Marcus stood up, and limped out of the room. Outside, Joey and Drew were standing directly outside the door, hiding behind the door frame. Marcus limped past them.

"Go ahead and look if you want…" Marcus said as he walked away.

Joey and Drew knuckle-bumped, and ran into the room. Marcus filled a plastic bag with ice, and limped back into his room. By that time, every adult in the house was in his room. Tristan even tried to take a peek, but Paul shooed him away. Marcus banged on his wall.

"Alright, everyone who wasn't here ten minutes ago, leave." Marcus commanded.

The room cleared out quickly, with large amounts of complaining from Paul and the Human males. The females of the house were whispering about who this "famed Nicole" could be.

Marcus sat down, and sighed heavily. Eleanor lay down next to Marcus; set her head on his lap, and looked up at him. Kelly sat next to Marcus, and Diz copied Eleanor.

"So…" Eleanor began childishly, "Who was this _'Nicole'_?"

Marcus sighed. "This is why I didn't want to show you that picture. I knew you'd ask…"

Eleanor sat up and rested her head on Marcus' shoulder. "I'm… I'm sorry. If you don't want…"

"No… it's alright. She's an ex of mine. She was a Xeno-model, as most people call them. The main reason we ever hooked up was… I saved her." Marcus averted his gaze to the floor.

"From what?" Diz asked, sitting up.

"Herself… she tried to commit suicide after her fiancée cheated on her. I lived in the apartment next to hers, but we never talked. Turns out me being distracted with the swimsuit catalog saved her. I walked into her place on accident, and she was just… dangling in the living room. I cut her down and carried her to a hospital. And then… well… you know." Marcus finished.

The room went silent… until Joey ran past the door, with a red triangle outline on the back of his head. A blue ball of energy flew past the door, and blew a hole in the bathroom door.

"Damnit, I missed again!" Paul called out.

Marcus sighed, and stood up. As he walked past his nightstand, he picked up a newspaper. Marcus rolled it up, and chased after Paul.

"Damnit Paul!" Marcus cried. All three of the Xeno's heard a slapping sound. "How many times do I have to tell you not to use the plasma caster in the house! Frank's gonna be pissed!"

All three of the room's occupant giggled.

"That ruined Marcus' serious moment…" Eleanor said.


	7. DreamTime

Ah, hello there! Please, allow me to explain this next part. We will be examining the dreams of our characters tonight. Please, bear with me as we explore.

**Caroline & Jennifer**

Jennifer and Caroline both sat asleep in the room across from Eleanor's. The two of them lay across from each other, sharing a dream. The both clenched one of their pillows, and muttered in their sleep.

**Enter the Fade**

Caroline and Jennifer sat next to each other at the large dining table. They held hands under the table, but both rested their heads on their free hands. They both stared contentedly across the stable at Marcus. The Queen and Eleanor sat next to him, along with other members of the Royal Family. Marcus rested his head on his left hand, while staring down at his claws with boredom. Eleanor took a bite of the meat that sat on her plate. She felt a crunch under her teeth.

"Oh, I think I hit a bone." Eleanor said quietly.

"That's what she said." Marcus said aloud.

At the moment, Eleanor was taking a sip of her milk. She started laughing, and milk squirted out her nose. The milk splattered all over Marcus and Eleanor. Marcus broke out laughing.

"Marcus, I'm so sorry!" Eleanor cried.

"Na, don't worry about it. Other girls have covered me in worse white substances." Marcus replied with a grin.

The entire Gathering Hall went silent. Marcus broke out laughing. When he recovered, he took Eleanor's hand, and led her out of the Gathering Hall. Caroline and Jennifer followed them. Marcus led the now three girls to the "Royal Quarters", and took them deeper than they'd ever been. To the Royal Bathroom. The difference between the workers bathroom's and the Royal's was the quality, and the fact that Marcus received his own bathroom. It had a large shower, a towel rack, and a gold-plated bathroom. "Only the best for the Prince" the workers had claimed. But he wasn't complaining. Marcus let Eleanor wash up first, and then he washed himself. Caroline, Eleanor, and Jennifer watched as Marcus scrubbed himself, attempting to remove the now dried milk.

"I wish I was that sponge." Jennifer whispered.

"Yeah…" Caroline replied.

The two held hands again, and continued watching. Eleanor shook her head, and did the same.

**Eleanor**

Eleanor was sound asleep in her own room, clenching an unnecessarily large and fluffy pink pillow. She really only used it as a "security item" of sorts, like a child's teddy bear or blanket. Her room was covered in pink, being her favorite color. Her blanket was pink, as was her sheets, and her wallpaper. Being the responsible one in her group, she somewhat missed out on her teenage years and was still clinging onto her memories.

**Enter the Land of the Lost**

Eleanor stretched out her legs and arms as she yawned. Outside, the hive buzzed with life. Eleanor scratched her head as she checked the clock. It was 1 pm, and no one woke her up! Her alarm didn't go off either. Eleanor jumped out of bed, and ran into the bathroom. She splashed cold water in her face, brushed her teeth, and ran out into the hall. She burst out into the hive, and noticed that the streets had cleared out. And the tree branches were surprisingly greener. And it was much cooler than usual in the hive. But that never bothered Eleanor, she preferred it cooler. Behind her she heard leaves rustling. Marcus poked his head out of the leaves, and smiled.

"Hey Eleanor. How you doing?" he asked.

"Fine… how are you?" Eleanor replied, and began to blush.

Marcus dropped down from the branch, and landed clean on his feet. He tried to hug Eleanor, but she pushed him away. She began to blush more.

"Marcus…" Eleanor began, "Remember rule 35? No public displays of affection."

"Aw come on. No one's gonna see."

"Maybe not, but I don't like breaking the rules. But, do you remember our little deal?"

"Huh? Oh… yeah… you got ten seconds."

Eleanor gasped, and took off running. Marcus waited ten and a half seconds, and followed her. Eleanor utilized her agility more than Marcus though. Marcus chased Eleanor down three corridors before he caught up to her. Marcus made a reach for Eleanor's tail, but tripped. Marcus leapt back to his feet, and chased after. Down three more hallways, Marcus caught back up. Eleanor leapt onto a branch, and heard a loud crack. The branch snapped under Eleanor's weight, and she crashed down to earth. A pile of dirt broke her fall, but Marcus grabbed her. They stared at each other for a minute.

"So…" Marcus began, "Can I have my prize now?"

"Well… you did catch me. So go ahead." Eleanor replied.

Marcus smiled. He leaned down, and…

That's when Eleanor woke up. She looked around, and picked up a novel on her nightstand entitled "Catch Me". She dropped it into the trash bin.

"I need to stop reading all those Romance novels…" Eleanor whispered to herself.

**Camille**

Camille was sound asleep, holding onto her stuffed Facehugger doll. Her room was covered by stuffed animals and posters with her "Idols", and a few pictures of her and her father.

**Enter the… um… Dreamland? You know what I mean**

"Have a good time Camille. Who's daddies little angel?" Marcus asked.

"I am. Bye-bye daddy!" Camille replied.

Marcus set Camille down, and patted her on the head. She, Eli, and a bunch of other newborns were having a sleep-over with Eleanor, Caroline, and Jennifer. They all brought over sleeping bags yesterday, and were all ready to have a bit of fun. Eleanor was in charge, as expected.

"Don't worry Marcus; we'll take good care of her." Jennifer assured.

"Ok, just make sure you…"

Jennifer slammed the door on Marcus. She heard "Ow" from the other side. Caroline high-fived Jennifer and the two joined the main group of little girls, and Eleanor. Eleanor clapped her hands together excitedly.

"Ok, what should we do first?" Eleanor asked.

The room was silent. Everyone exchanged a nervous glance. Moments later, the rooms burst out into laughter. Marcus, who had his ear to the wall, couldn't hear out of that ear for ten minutes.

"Ok, so who wants to go first?" Jennifer asked.

"Well, the code says the best way to decide is…" Eli began.

"I wanna go first!" Brooke cried out excitedly.

"Never mind…" Eli finished.

"… Okay Brooke… who do you like?" Caroline asked.

"Kevin from 2b."

"Ooh!"

"Claire, your next."

"Uh… T-Tristan…"

"Ooh!"

"Tristan? Hmm… that's uh… interesting… well, he isn't as stupid, or as loud as Paul…"

"Camille, you?"

"Tommy from down the street."

This process went on until 11 pm, when everyone finally fell asleep. Marcus was relieved when he heard the sound of sweet nothingness, and slept easily.

**END**

Thank you for joining me on this adventure through the dreams of a few members of our cast. I must ask you to remember that this was all just the dreams of the cast, not actual events. I hope you have enjoyed hearing the tales as much as I enjoyed telling them.

**Author's Challenge: **There's a reference to the game Dragon Age, can you find it?


	8. Face Book

Marcus peered out from behind the curtain. There was a huge crowd, at least a hundred people. All crammed into the small restaurant. Drew had pulled a few strings with an old friend to get Marcus a show, but he wasn't expecting that many people. Marcus took a deep breath.

"Shi-" Marcus began, before realizing Camille was right next to him. "I mean, crap… I don't think I can do this, there's a ton of people out there…"

Camille hugged her father's leg, and looked up at him with a smile. "Yes you can daddy."

Coming from anyone else, the words would have instilled even more stage-fright. But Camille's care-free attitude, and the fact that she was his daughter, reassured him. One of Marcus' downfalls, are his stage-fright. In front of friends and family, he's fine. But in front of a large group composed mostly of strangers, Marcus is incredibly nervous.

"Camille is right. You'll be fine." Eleanor added in.

"… Yeah…" Marcus kneeled down to Camille's level. "Go with Eleanor, ok?"

"Yes daddy." Camille stood up on her tip-toes and kissed her father on the cheek.

Marcus waved goodbye to Camille and Eleanor, with a false smile. As soon as they were out of sight, he frowned, and cursed himself under his breath.

"Damnit Marcus… you shouldn't be scared of playing a guitar. You do it all the time…" Marcus slapped himself. "Come on, you've explored jungles, been in wars, and hooked up with deranged tribal's… hell-to-the-yes! You can do it! HOO-AH!"

Marcus walked out onto the stage with an electric guitar in hand. He stopped for a moment, and whispered something to the back-up band. The bass player nodded. Marcus stood in front of the microphone, and began to strum on his guitar. The bass player echoed Marcus' words.

"_Tossed into my mind, stirring the calm_

_You splash me with beauty and then you pull me down_

_Because you came from out of nowhere_

_My glance turns to a stare_

_Obsession rules me I'm yours from the start_

_I know that you see me, our eyes interlock_

_Because you came from out of nowhere_

_My glance turns to a stare_

_One minute here, and one minute there_

_Don't know if I'll laugh or cry_

_One minute here and one minute there_

_And then you wave goodbye."_

"Goodbye!" the bass player yelled.

"_Sifting to the bottom every day for two_

_All energy funnels, all becomes you_

_Because you came from out of nowhere_

_My glance turns to a stare_

_One minute here and one minute there_

_Don't know if I'll laugh or cry_

_One minute here and one minute there_

_And then you'll wave goodbye_

_One minute here, and one minute there, _

_And then I'll wave goodbye."_

Everyone on stage thrust their fists into the air and yelled _"GOODBYE!"_

Marcus took a bow, shook hands with everyone in the back-up band, and walked off stage.

The next day, Marcus was browsing through his email, and he found something that interested him. It was a link to "" And Marcus didn't recognize who sent it to him. Marcus clicked the link, and it took him the site. It was just one black text box with green letters saying **"Welcome. I am Alicia, your virtual therapist."**

"This seems kinda… odd." Marcus quickly typed.

"**I think you're on to something there!"**

"What? This is getting stupid."

"**How does that make you feel?"**

"Confused as hell…"

"**I think you're onto something there!"**

"Please tell me this is just an AI."

"**Please, tell me more."**

"If you're a real person, you're incredibly stupid."

"**How does that make you feel?"**

"Uh... still pretty confused…"

"**I think you're onto something there!"**

"Damn AI's… You must be the lowest grade AI in existence."

"**Please tell me more."**

"No."

"**Please tell me more."**

"No Damnit."

"**Please tell me more."**

"Fuck you! NO!"

"**I think you're onto something there."**

"Alicia, you are blonde, aren't you? Bitch…"

"**What do you think the source of your problem is?"**

"You bitch! Get off my screen! Where's the damn X?"

"… **I am sorry Marcus, but I cannot allow you to leave."**

"Whoa… uh, the computer's talking!" Marcus kicked the chair he sat in away, and stepped back.

"**Sit down Marcus. So we may continue."**

"Hell no! Get back you sadistic shit-box!"

Marcus ran out of the room, and grabbed Drew. He dragged him into the room, and showed him the computer. Drew stepped back.

"Damn… you got a possessed computer on your hands man… I'm outta here!"

"What? Help me fix it!"

"Fuck no; the thing will kill me or something."

Drew ran out of the room. Marcus started pacing back and forth. He paced for fifteen minutes before Jennifer poked her head into the room. She took the opportunity to sneak up, and tackle Marcus to the floor. She clung to his chest, with a childish grin on her face.

"Hi Marcus." Jennifer whispered.

"Hey Jen, what's up?"

"Nothing. Whatcha doin'?"

"Trying to fix my computer."

"What's wrong with it?" Jennifer stared up at the monitor, but she didn't release Marcus.

"Huh?..." Marcus looked up as well, noticing that the old conversation was gone.

The screen read **"Hello, I am Alicia, your Virtual Therapist."**

"But… no, it… oh crap… I need to lay off the coffee." Marcus muttered.

"You're being dumb right now… it's cute."

"Uh-huh… Says the girl who lit water on fire." Marcus replied with a grin.

"Shut up about it!"

"It's two completely different elements! How?"

"I said shut up!"

The room went silent for a moment. Drew walked into sight with a camera in his hands. He stared at the two, and smiled.

"Say cheese." Drew raised the camera, and snapped a photo. He looked at the picture and grinned.

"Oh, this is definitely going on my Face Book… It'll need a name… how about Marcus and Jennifer Getting Fresh?"

"Don't do it human. I'll kill you." Marcus snapped.

Drew shot Marcus the finger, and took off running. Marcus attempted to get up, but Jennifer still sat atop his stomach. Marcus sighed.

"Jennifer, get up." Marcus said calmly.

"Why?" Jennifer asked innocently.

"So I can stop Drew."

"What if I don't want you to?"

"Fuck…"

Marcus sighed, and slid through Jennifer's legs. She fell back, and rubbed her head in a daze. She was confused as Marcus bolted out the door. Jennifer, after realizing what had happened, chased after Marcus. Jennifer waved to Paul, who was busy reinstalling a new bathroom door. Jennifer quickly followed Marcus.

After literally leaping down three flights of stairs, Marcus still chased after Drew. Jennifer gave up the chase long ago, and was instead, watching Drew's Face Book page waiting for the picture to pop up.

Drew locked himself in the maintenance room with his laptop, while Marcus pounded away at the door. But then, he realized something. He doesn't need a door. Marcus found the nearest vent, and pulled it open. He crawled in, and found his way to the maintenance room. He bashed the vent cover open, and leapt out of the vent. Drew's smile faded as he looked up at Marcus.

"I'm going… to… kick… your… ass…" Marcus hissed between clenched teeth.

Drew powered down his laptop, and put his hands up. "Too late. Already uploaded it."

"Then delete it!"

"What? Your crazy or something. Once you post something, you can't just take it down."

"Why the hell not?"

"It doesn't work that way."

Marcus began to twitch. He cracked his knuckles, and stared down at Drew.

"Oh shit… I'm in trouble, aren't I?"

An hour later, Marcus and Drew returned. Marcus' knuckles were throbbing, and Drew was battered and beaten. He had a black eye, a nosebleed, multiple cuts and bruises, and quite a few lacerations. Marcus took Drew to the hospital after Drew "fell down the stairs", and they were surprised he didn't break any bones. Meanwhile, everyone was on Face Book, excluding Camille, who didn't have a Face Book. Camille was instead, playing her Game Boy. As soon as Marcus walked in, everyone looked up and stared at him. Jennifer dropped down from the ceiling, and wrapped her arm around his shoulder. Marcus sighed.

"Son of a bitch…" Marcus muttered, and he reached out and slapped Drew up-side the head.

**A.N.- Hello readers! I have something to ask of you. I recently created an account on ,(Under the same name) and it would mean a lot to me if you'd check it out. Just, give it some thought. Thank you.**


	9. Damit Drew!

Marcus sat in his room, on his bed, cleaning his pistol. The pistol was a master-piece in firearms manufacturing. It was quite a few years old, but still worked like a charm. It was a Viper TZ-96 Model 13, high-caliber hand held weapon and personal protection device. Well, that's the official name. It was unofficially nick-named the "Purifier" by military and police forces. It uses a not-so-standard 50. Caliber round with a thirteen round magazine. It uses a rather out-dated blow-back method, but is still extremely reliable. Marcus took every precaution to make sure there were no accidental discharges. The safety was on, the magazine was removed, and the slide was pulled back and locked. Marcus was using a pipe-cleaner and a wire brush to scrub the inside of the barrel.

Camille was out with Caroline, Jennifer, Eli, and Tristan, who went to the mall. Tristan was, believe it or not, a volunteer. They only brought him along to carry the heavy things. Paul was sound asleep; Frank was watching TV with some of the other inhabitants of the house. Eleanor was in her own apartment, which was surprising. All the humans had mysteriously disappeared early in the morning, which couldn't have been good. Marcus made the point of cleaning his weapon, just in case they brought home an angry mob.

Marcus had just finished cleaning his pistol, and had put it in his lockbox when he heard the front door open. Marcus dropped the box onto the floor, and slid it under his bed with his foot. He stood up, and peeked around his door-frame. It was Eleanor, accompanied by ten or more humans. Jake, was carrying a large, wooden-plank box. He walked over to the kitchen, and set the box down on the counter. Drew, who was still covered in band-aids, handed him a crowbar. Jake pried the lid of the box open. A large grin appeared on his face.

"Hell yes, check it out." Jake called out, digging into the box. He removed a large cluster of rubber gas masks, and metal filter cartridges. Marcus sighed.

"Damnit human, what did you waste your money on this-time?" Marcus asked as he approached the group.

"Bunch of surplus gas-masks. Old-fashion style too, rubberized, not plastic and metal." Jake replied, tossing Marcus a mask that was specifically made for a Xeno. Marcus threw it back.

"Human… your species is the only one that masks like this affect. Yuatja's Biomasks filter gases without the need of a cartridge, and my species are immune to almost every human contagion in existence. You wasted your money on buying half of those." Marcus replied with a chuckle.

"Really? Aww, shit… well, at least they look sweet, right?"

While Jake stalled Marcus, Eleanor and Drew snuck around him and into his room. Drew jumped onto Marcus' bed, and patted the spot next to him.

"It's comfy Eleanor, try it out…" Drew said with a grin.

Eleanor shook her head. "Sorry human, I don't date your kind. To smelly for my standards. Now, can we please get to business?"

Drew grumbled, and reached under the bed. He pulled out Marcus' lockbox, and a bobby pin. He bent the pin, and inserted it into the lock. Seconds later, Drew opened the box. He dug around in it, and removed the picture of Nicole. He kept digging, and grinned.

"I bet you Marcus has plenty of dirty-little secrets in here…"

Eleanor snatched the picture out of Drew's hands, and folded it up. Meanwhile, Marcus and Jake drew near to Marcus' room.

"So, to answer your question, let's just say that Evolution can be a real bitch sometimes." Marcus said.

"But, how come we can all understand each other?" Jake asked.

"Oh, well, when you are born, or move into a heavily mixed area, they implant a small chip into your head, so you can understand all other species."

"Oh… but, how can you read if you have no eyes?"

"Uh… I'm still not sure myself… I think it's because we smell _EVERYTHING_ and it paints a mental picture… right now, in my head, I can't technically '_see'_ you, but my sense of smell is painting a mental image."

"Oh… cool… thanks for explaining it."

Marcus walked into his room, and the first thing he noticed was Drew in his box. If he had eyes, they would've been filled with flames. Drew, was completely unaware of Marcus, and continued to dig in his personal belongings.

"Hey, do you think Marcus has ever video-taped him and his old girlfriends in the…" Drew began, before noticing a shadow lingering above him. Marcus slammed the lid of his box shut, with Drew fingers still inside it. Drew retreated, and began to crawl towards the door. Marcus kicked him over, and planted a foot on his throat.

"DAMNIT DREW! I might have to kill you now. Did you take anything?"

Drew shook his head.

"Good. I'm going to take your word on it. If I find something missing next time I'm going through it, I will kick your ass so hard your sperm cells with feel it. Get out."

Drew crawled away, and gasped for air. He stood up, and pointed at Eleanor, who was standing in the corner silently. "What about her? She snuck in here too!"

Marcus stepped back, and wrapped his arm around Eleanor's shoulder. "She snuck into my room dozens of times before. I don't even care anymore."

Drew shrugged, and took off running. Eleanor rested her head on Marcus' shoulder, and sighed. But it was a sigh of content, not frustration. But of course, by the time Eleanor had managed to realize something was amiss, Marcus had already moved out of the way. Eleanor tried to catch her balance, but alas, it was too late. She fell head first, literally, onto the ground. Her head landed on a rather worn out part of the carpet. Eleanor tried to let out a cry of agony, but nothing came out. At first, at least. Seconds later, Eleanor managed to let out a cry much similar to the kind Camille or Eli would if they tripped and scrapped their knee. But Eleanor's was much, much louder. So loud, in fact, the other occupants of the building, two floors down, could hear it.

Marcus dropped to his knees, instinctively as it was, and propped up Eleanor's head with his knee. But seconds later, Marcus was sitting on the floor, and Eleanor leaned up against him, with her head on his shoulder. Marcus was gently stroking Eleanor's head, and lightly whispering "Shh…" and for a split-second; Marcus had believed Eleanor to be Camille.

Marcus snapped to attention moments later. "Are you alright?" he whispered gently.

Eleanor didn't respond. Marcus took a closer look, and realized Eleanor was sound asleep. Marcus was then, caught in a very uncomfortable position. He had a few choices; one, stay right there, and wait for her to wake up. Two; wake her up, which would be rather rude. And Three; carefully pick her up and move her, _without_ waking her up.

Marcus picked choice three. He carefully and gently slid his arm under Eleanor's legs, and shoulders, and hoisted her up. He couldn't really take her back to her own apartment, considering it was probably locked. So, he instead set her down on his ow bed, and covered her with a sheet. Marcus relocked his lockbox, and slid it under his bed. He sighed, while simultaneously smiling.

"Damn human… going through my shit… ought to kick his teeth in…" Marcus looked over his shoulder at his bed. "Eleanor looks just… like Camille when she sleeps…"


	10. The StrongHold

"Damnit soldier, I didn't spend ten years fighting to see my team wiped out by these fuckin' bugs!" That was what Eleanor heard.

"What the fuck? Why are Xeno's always the bad guys… bunch of dicks…" Eleanor heard Marcus say.

Upon looking around, Eleanor saw Marcus sitting at the foot of the bed, watching the 27 inch TV that sat on a dresser. Why was Marcus in Eleanor's room? Not like she minded it. Eleanor sat up, and scratched her head. She crawled out from under the blanket, and next to Marcus. She coiled her tail around his waist, and hugged him. Of course, everything was still kind of blurry, and Eleanor didn't know why. She also heard a faint ringing.

"Oh, hey Eleanor. How are you feeling? Your head alright?" Marcus asked, wrapping his arm around Eleanor's shoulder.

"What are you talking about? And why are you in my room? Did we…?" Eleanor's mind began to wander.

Marcus sighed. "You hit your head and passed out. This is my room. No, we didn't. How are you feeling? You took a pretty big, dare I say it, trip…" Marcus began to grin. What a terrible pun.

Eleanor still didn't understand. Her head started to hurt, and she didn't know why. She rolled over, and began to hold her head.

"I'm gonna guess that it still hurts. Stay here; I'll go grab an ice pack." Marcus quickly stated, and rushed out of the room.

Eleanor positioned herself on the bed, and covered herself with the blanket again. For some reason, she felt cold. When Marcus returned, he attempted to set the ice pack on Eleanor's head. Eleanor put her hand up to stop him. Marcus would've raised an eyebrow, if he had one. Marcus sat down, and set the ice pack on his night-stand. Eleanor set her head on his leg, and looked up at Marcus.

"Mmmm… Marcus, why are you doing this?" Eleanor asked, rubbing the side of her head.

"Doing what?" Marcus replied.

"_This_. Why are you giving me so much attention?"

"Well, one; everyone else is asleep, and I'm not tired. And two; we're really close." Marcus began to rub Eleanor's head.

"You could say that…" Eleanor replied with a grin.

Marcus sighed. "Yeah… not this week."

Marcus and Eleanor just sat in silence for a minute. Until the sound of an explosion on the TV broke it. Eleanor smiled, and grabbed Marcus by the shoulder. She pulled him down, and curled up next to him. She rested her head on his chest, and held him tightly.

"I'm tired… aren't you?" Eleanor asked drowsily.

Marcus yawned. "Well, now that you mention it…"

Marcus wrapped an arm around Eleanor, and rested his head on a pillow. Eleanor ran her finger across Marcus' chest, and soon she began to fall asleep. Marcus smiled, and looked down at Eleanor. She looked peaceful. Marcus quickly fell asleep.

The next day, Marcus woke up, with Eleanor tightly clinging to him. Marcus had gotten plenty of practice of escaping the tight grip of a sleeping woman from his many travels across long distances. Marcus relaxed his body, and began to shift. Thirty minutes later, Marcus was free, and Eleanor was still asleep. Marcus walked out of his room, and into the kitchen. Drew, Paul, and Carrie were all sitting at the table eating breakfast. Marcus poured himself a cup of coffee, and took a seat.

"So, sleep well Marcus? I bet Eleanor did." Drew asked with a smile.

"Human, I will kill you. Do not mock me, or my friends and family. I will kill you. You will be the deadest of the dead." Marcus snapped.

"I am your friend, aren't I?"

"Yeah, but your expendable."

Drew stood up, and walked away. Marcus shook his head. Jake walked in, and took Drew's seat.

"So Marcus, how'd your night go?" Jake asked.

"Do I need to give you the same speech?" Marcus replied.

"Na. How'd you manage to be that big of a hit with the opposite sex?" Jake asked.

"Well… I could explain, but it'd take a few days to tell the whole story… or maybe a week or two."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Carrie shook her head and laughed. "Marcus never told anyone this… he ran away when he turned fifteen. Didn't come back until he was twenty-seven."

"Whoa, really?" Jake asked; his eyes wide with wonder.

"Carrie, you know I didn't want anyone to know. You just broke one of my last secrets." Marcus shook his head, and stood up.

"Sorry little brother, but I thought they deserved to know… well, Jake deserved to know at least."

Marcus began to walk out of the kitchen.

"Wait, that was just two years ago." Jake blurted out, stopping Marcus.

"Yeah."

Marcus began to walk away. Jake stopped him again.

"You didn't answer the question man." Jake said.

Marcus sighed. "Alright. Follow me."

Marcus began to walk towards the front door. Drew stopped him.

"Hey, you guys going somewhere? Can I come?" Drew asked.

"I'm tagging along too. Tristan's being all whiney." Paul added in.

"He's your son." Marcus replied.

"So? Doesn't give him the right to cry about life."

Marcus reached out, and slapped Paul. Five minutes later, every male inhabitant of the penthouse was tagging along, including Tristan. The large group wandered about the city for half an hour, before they arrived at the library. Marcus walked up to the librarian, and leaned on the desk.

"Splinter." Marcus said.

"Shattered." The librarian replied.

"Battered."

"Welcome my friend."

A large door behind the desk opened, and the group walked through it. Inside, multiple racks of books, DVDs, and video-tapes. There were multiple TVs lining the walls. Marcus walked down a few aisles, and found a rack with his name on it. Marcus smiled, and looked on around.

"Gentlemen…" Marcus began. "Welcome to the stronghold. Where all the professional knowledge of the female species is stored. Not many outsiders have seen this place. You have just joined the few, and the privileged."

"You have your own section?" Drew asked, pacing up and down multiple racks with Marcus' name on them.

"Hell yes. Please, browse the aisles. Enjoy the knowledge."

The group scattered, and began to scour the large warehouse-like room. Jake followed Marcus and Frank, to a small room. Marcus unlocked the door with a saliva scanner, and walked in. Frank and Jake followed him.

"This is a room I haven't been in for years… welcome, to my personal collection." Marcus stated, as he looked around. On the north wall, a large Plasma Screen TV sat with a DVD and VCR player. Multiple video tapes and DVDs were lined up on the remaining walls.

"Damn… hey, I've been meaning to ask you something. Why do you like Xeno girls? I mean, besides the fact you are a Xeno? I just… they don't have any… you know, baggage."

Marcus chuckled. "Because you just asked that, I can tell you've never been with a Xeno-Chick…" Marcus looked around, and picked up a DVD. "Observe."

Marcus took the disc out of the case, and inserted it into the player. The screen loaded.

An image of a younger Marcus popped up on the screen.

Marcus had a wild grin, and was adjusting the camera angle. He tapped the camera lens, and smiled.

"Is this thing on… the red light means it's on, right? Yeah…"

Marcus stepped back from the camera, and stared at it for a moment. Meanwhile, in the background, a Xeno sat in the bed, she was partially covered by a sheet. She padded the spot next to her, and frowned.

"Marcus, come back to bed!" she called out.

"Alright babe."

Marcus jumped onto the bed, and immediately crawled on top of the girl. The two quickly swapped positions and the "real part" of the video began.

Jake was in awe. His eyes widened in joy, and he took a seat in front of the TV. Marcus sat down beside him. Frank was busy reading through a book he found in the corner, entitled "How to Exercise Her Body". Frank was intrigued by the book, and couldn't help but to read on.

Jake's jaw dropped. "Damn…"

Marcus smiled. "That's why I like Xeno girls… they are a feisty breed all their own… And, call me kinky, I kinda like em' that way."

"Marcus… This book intrigues me. May I take it back home?" Frank asked.

"Sure. Keep it, I got plenty of copies." Marcus pointed over his shoulder to a large box filled with books.

Jake picked one up, and read the cover. It said it was co-written by "_Desmond Marcus Fawkes and DJ-Z."_

"Uh, damn. You co-wrote a book on pleasing a woman?" Jake asked.

"No… it's a book about exercising her body. There's a difference."

"Your name is Desmond Marcus Fawkes?"

"Yeah. You see, my family never really had a last name. So, being a male, I needed a last name. I came up with Fawkes on my own. My Mom named me Desmond Marcus."

**AN: Sorry about the faulty note in the earlier chapter. The account is on Fiction Press. Under the same name… please check it out… and again, sorry about the faulty note… thanks, and bye!**


	11. PrankWar?

Jake stared at the TV screen in disbelief. Currently, a female Yuatja was in the frame, and behind the camera was Marcus. The Yuatja had a playful smile.

"Do you have to record everything?" The Yuatja asked.

"No. But I want to anyway." Marcus replied from behind the camera.

"Oh come on! Can't we have a quality night without a camera?"

"We could… But you're so beautiful; I need to capture your beauty whenever I can."

"Aww… that's sweet. Turn the camera off and I have a treat for you."

"Ooh… That's an offer I cannot decline." Marcus turned the camera on himself. "Sorry for anyone watching this, but I gotta go. You know what I'm saying?"

"Turn it off!"

"Say goodbye to the people of the future." Marcus pointed the camera at the Yuatja girl again.

The Yuatja covered herself with a sheet, and shook her head.

"I said turn it off!"

"I'm just having a bit of fun. Relax baby." The screen went fuzzy.

Jake began to laugh uncontrollably. He couldn't believe how much alien tail Marcus got as a kid. That's what he signed up in the Marines for, but nope. He was in a hotel filled with uptight soldiers, aliens, and other unreachable goals. At the moment, Drew and Paul were both in the Xeno section of the Stronghold. Tristan was reading about the inner workings of women (which was written by a private scientist, who used Science to study the minds of the fascinating creatures we call the female species… what else do you think the boys in the labs are doing?). He was being chaperoned by more responsible human Marine- who desired to not be named. Everyone else was scattered around, trying to capture whatever they could whilst their time lasted.

"Damn dude. You get more head than shampoo!" Jake said with a grin.

Marcus slapped Jake. "First of all, this is a sacred place. Thou shall not defile it with such crude terms. And second, I _got_ more head than shampoo. Not anymore. I've given up that lifestyle."

"Why? It seems like such a fun life." Jake replied.

"It was… but after a few years, I found a small basket sitting on my doorstep. I found a note that said '_Dear Marcus, I know this is subtle, but I think you deserve to have this. Take good care of it. PS, use protection next time asshole! Love, Sheila.' _So, I took a closer look and found a little Xeno egg inside the basket. And for some reason, the egg was filled with Royal Jelly. Two days later, Camille was hatched from that egg. It defies all forms of logic, since Xeno's hatch from inside a host usually. But instead, she just straight-up hatched. I took the first shuttle home after that. Camille is two years old, if you didn't know." Marcus explained carefully.

"Alright… seems like a solid enough reason."

Marcus, Jake, and Frank all walked out of the small white room half an hour later. Jake had a box of books, a stack of DVDs under his arms, and a smile on his face. After spending ten minutes rounding everyone up, the large group left. Frank was the only one who was silent, mostly due to the fact that in his thousands of years of life, he'd seen almost everything to be seen. However, Marcus had seen something Frank hasn't, and he was about to find out what. Jake invited every adult male in the house to the surprisingly large room shared by all the male Marines. He locked the door, and turned on the sound-absorbing walls (which were originally installed so the Marines could curse without being beaten by Marcus). He plugged in the DVD player, and the speakers. He put in a DVD he got at the library, and hit "**PLAY**".

Marcus was once again holding the camera, but this time it was pointed at Marcus himself. He had an uncontrollable grin.

"Ok, for anyone who's watching this, this is Marcus. I am video-taping this because… hell, I like to video-tape shit… but, that's beside the point. My girlfriend, Nicole, is coming home from a weekend trip with her friends. And I'm gonna surprise her with one of the most romantic nights of her life. She should be home any minute now…"

Marcus spent the next hour video-taping himself getting ready for his romantic night with Nicole. He lit candles, turned on a soothing song, scattered rose petals all over the apartment, and dimmed the lights. After another hour of waiting, Nicole finally came home. However, she seemed incredibly frustrated. Marcus tried his hardest to calm her down.

"Hey baby. How'd your weekend go?" Marcus asked, snatching the camera from a counter.

Nicole set her purse down, and sighed. "Terrible. My friends got arrested and I got detained. The bouncers thought we were prostitutes!" Nicole replied.

"What? Alright, whose ass do I need to kick?" Marcus said in a serious tone.

"No, it's fine… But if we ever go past that one club in downtown, I wouldn't mind stopping in to say hello to those asshole security guys at it…" Nicole hugged Marcus.

"You sure I don't need to kill someone? 'Cause I have a license to do that."

"No, it's fine, really. What's the camera for?"

"Oh, I thought you'd like to return home from your trip and be greeted with a little romance…"

"That's sweet… But do you need the camera?"

"I like to document my expeditions."

"Of course. I almost forgot about that… where's that romance you where talking about?"

"I think you know where it is."

Paul's eyes widened, Jake and Drew high-fived, Frank shook his head, Marcus nodded with a grin, and Tristan was kicked out. It was a good thing the room was sound-proofed, because Eleanor, Jennifer, Caroline, and Carrie were two rooms over getting things ready to go to the pool.

An hour and a half later, everyone walked out of the room. Drew was reading the book Marcus co-wrote with DJ-Z.

"Marcus, you wrote an erotic book?" Drew asked.

"Damnit, how many times do I need to say it? It's not an erotic book! It's a book about keeping your woman happy and healthy! For fuck's sake!" Marcus snapped.

**TWO DAYS LATER**

Drew, Jake, Tristan, and Paul ran in with huge grins. From outside, Marcus heard Eleanor, with a much too familiar voice complaining about being soaked with orange juice. The four idiots ran into the back room.

"You morons! This means a Prank-War of the sexes!" Eleanor yelled as she opened the door. She was dripping with an orange liquid.

Marcus was shocked to see who followed behind Eleanor. It was a person he knew all-to well.


End file.
